Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Public Accounts Committee

Work Programme

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. No. 14C relates to the adequacy of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's response to the recommendation of the committee's report on the wards of court. As this relates to the minutes already discussed, I propose that we discuss the correspondence with the wards of court report separately next week.

No. 15C is a letter from Mr. Alan Farrell calling on the committee to commence a review of the charity Console. This matter relates to the upcoming work programme. I propose that we discuss it when we discuss the work programme in a couple of minutes.

No. 22C and 23C are two items of correspondence from an individual, the origin of which relates to an alleged wrongdoing by Horse Racing Ireland. This handwritten letter has been referred to. The individual has been in regular contact with the previous Committee of Public Accounts, several Departments, Deputies and Garda over a number of years. As the correspondence is lengthy, I propose that we return to it in the near future for a comprehensive response. That concludes correspondence.

The next item is reports and statements of accounts received since the last meeting. I shall outline what this means in simple English. As the Comptroller and Auditor General has said, he audits 289 organisations each year and many of the reports, are laid in the Oireachtas Library, on the completion of audit.

We formally note all of the accounts that have been laid in the Oireachtas Library. The dates they were laid are listed. They commence on 28 January 2016 up to the current date. There is an observation beside those organisations as to whether there is a clear audit opinion or if there is an issue regarding the audit - sometimes there is regarding public service pensions. It gives an indication of the size of the organisation and the accounting period involved. We list the turnover so that people will know whether it is a €100,000 organisation or a €10 million organisation. Do we have to note these individually?